Self-adjusting vise jaw

ABSTRACT

This invention is directed to a self-adjusting vise jaw in which a plurality of laterally aligned clamp blocks are mounted within a frame with their inner ends bevelled to define a series of vertical V-notches within which are freely fitted a corresponding series of actuating rods having a diameter such that portions thereof extend beyond the inner ends of the clamp blocks toward tangential contact with the back of the frame. Any clamp block that faces a thin section of a workpiece held in the vise will be pushed into contact therewith by the two actuating rods adjacent the inner end of the clamp block while the remaining clamp blocks engage the thicker sections of the workpiece.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Umberto Lauriti Olive Bridge, N.Y. 12461 [21] Appl. No. 829,316

[22] Filed June 2, 1969 [45] Patented July 13, 1971 [54] SELF-ADJUSTING VISE JAW 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 269/267 B25b1/24 FleldolSeareh 269/265,

Assistant Examiner-Donald D. Evenson Attorneys-Charles E. Baxley and Thomas E. Tate ABSTRACT: This invention is directed to a self-adjusting vise jaw in which a plurality of laterally aligned clamp blocks are mounted within a frame with their inner ends bevelled to define a series of vertical V-notches within which are freely fitted a corresponding series of actuating rods having a diameter such that portions thereof extend beyond the inner ends of the clamp blocks toward tangential contact with the back of the frame. Any clamp block that faces a thin section of a workpiece held in the vise will be pushed into contact therewith by the two actuating rods adjacent the inner end of the clamp block while the remaining clamp blocks engage the thicker sections of the workpiece.

SELF-ADJ USTING VISE J AW THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to new and useful improve ments in clamping devices and particularly seeks to provide a novel vise jaw having a positively operated self-adjusting face so that a workpiece of irregular thickness may be securely clamped in the vise.

Heretofore, many different types of clamps have been developed to hold irregularly shaped workpieces, but most of these are tool fixtures, rather than vises, and generally require the wrench tightening of two or more screw-operated wedges to move clamping elements into clamping position. It has also been proposed to provide vises having jaws with plural spring loaded clamping elements, but these are not satisfactory because of unequalloading on the clamping elements when the vise engages a workpiece of irregular thickness.

However, a vise constructed in accordance with this invention overcomes the deficiencies of the earlier vises or clamps and is provided with clamping elements that are self-adjusting to impose a uniform clamping force on a workpiece of irregular thickness when held between thejaws of the vise.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a novel vise having stationary and movable jaws provided with positively loaded self-adjusting clamping elements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vise of the character stated in which each jaw includes an open throated frame that carries a plurality of laterally aligned clamp elements that are individually slidable in a direction normal to the clamping plane and have their inner ends within the frame V-bevelled for engagement by a plurality of freely mounted vertical actuating rods interposed therebetween and contactable by the closed rear face of the frame.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vise of the character stated in which abutting edges of the clamp elements are relieved to define a plurality of vertical channels for receiving and retaining a corresponding number of freely mounted guide rods.

A further object of this invention is to provide a vise of the character stated that is' simple in design, rugged in construc tion and economical to manufacture.

With these and other objects, the nature of which will be apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

F IG. 1 is a top plan view of a pair of vise jaws constructed in accordance with this invention, with the top cover plate removed, as positioned in initial contact with a workpiece before clamping pressure is applied;

P10. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view, similar to P16. 1, but showing the displacement of certain of the clamp elements into a thinner portion of the workpiece as full clamping pressure is applied to the vise jaws; and

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the clamping face of one vise jaw as it appears with both top and bottom cover plates in place.

Referring to the drawings in detail the invention, as illustrated, is embodied in a vise that includes a pair of opposed jaws generally indicated 5,5, each of which comprises a clamp element mounting frame having a backplate or wall 6'and forwardly extending and walls 7,7. A bottom cover plate 8 is affixed to the bottom of the frame and a top cover plate 9 is affixed to the top thereof. Thus, the frame and its top and bottom cover plates collectively define an open throated box for receiving and retaining a plurality of individual self-adjusting clamp elements as will be hereinafter more fully described.

For the purposes of this disclosure it will be assumed that the vise is to be used to clamp a workpiece of uniform thickness along most of its length, but which may have a section of reduced thickness at one or more locations. It will be further assumed that there may be 10 such possible locations for the sections of reduced thickness and that it is desirable to be able to apply full clamping pressure to any such section of reduced thickness as well as to the sections of full thickness.

To this end a group of 10 laterally aligned clamp blocks or elements 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 are freely fitted and slidably supported between the cover plates 8 and 9 intermediate the end walls 7 and, in the illustrated embodiment, have flat exposed faces. The rear or inner ends of each of the blocks 10-19 are double bevelled at a 45 angle as at 20,20 to provide rearwardly projecting V-shaped cam surfaces that are adapted to be successively engaged by a group of freely mounted vertical actuating rods 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 that are interposed between the V-notches defined between adjacent clamp blocks and the backplate 6 of the frame.

The abutting faces of the clamp blocks 10-19 are grooved to define vertical voids 32 of rectangular cross section into each of which is freely fitted on guide or restraining rod 33.

The inner faces of the end walls 7 are bevelled as at 34 to complement the bevels on the clamp blocks 10 and 19.

As is common to most vises, one of the jaws 5 is stationary and the other is movable and may be moved toward or away from the stationary by any suitable means such as the usual operating screw or by air or hydraulic cylinders or by cams.

The principle of operation of the vise jaws of this invention will be readily understood from an inspection of FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings in which it will be seen that a workpiece 35 is of uniform thickness through most of its length, but has a section of reduced thickness opposite the opposed clamp blocks 13,13. HO. 1 shows the relative positions of the parts when the workpiece is initially contacted by the jaws 5,5 but before any clamping pressure has been applied. When clamping pressure is applied all of the rods 21-31 are tangent both the the backplate 6 and to the 45 surfaces 20 of the clamp elements 10-19. The rods 21-23 and 26-31 are forced further apart as are the clamp blocks 10-12 and 14-19 and the rods 21- 23 and 26-31 move deeper into the V-notches of the clamp blocks 10-12 and 14-19. However, and as clearly shown in FIG. 2, when the backplate 6 also applies clamping pressure to the rods 24 and 25, they in turn transfer the pressure to the 45 faces 20 of the clamp blocks 12-14, thus forcing the clamp block 13 into clamping engagement with the thin section of the workpiece 35. In effecting this movement of the clamp block 13, the rods 24 and 25 are forced to move toward each other since there isnt any other way for them to move, and the centers of all of the rods 21-31 remain in the same plane.

Obviously, if the workpiece has more than one thinner section, the complementary clamp blocks at each such thinner section will be moved into clamping position as were the clamp blocks 13.

Although 10 clamp blocks are shown in the il ustrated embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated that they could be replaced by a greater or lesser number of uniformly proportioned clamp blocks so long as there are at least three such blocks and four actuating rods corresponding to the rods 21-31.

All of the rods 21-31, the guide rods 32 and the abutting surfaces of the clamp blocks 10-19 may be lubricated for smooth rolling or sliding action.

It is of course to be understood that variations in arrangements and proportions of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. A self-adjusting vise jaw including a frame having a straight backplate and a pair of forwardly extending end walls, a plurality of laterally aligned clamp blocks spaced so as to be freely movable between said end walls and slidable in a direction normal to the plane of said backplate, the inner ends of said clamp blocks being V-bevelled to define a series of V- notches between adjacent clamp blocks and normally disposed in proximity to said backplate, and a series of vertically disposed equal diameter actuating rods freely mounted in said V-notches, the diameter of said actuating rods being sufficient that portions of said rods extend beyond the inner ends of said clamp blocks toward tangential contact with said backplate when the rods are seated in tangential contact with the faces of said V-notches.

2. The vise jaw ofclaim l in which the side abutting faces of said clamp blocks are relieved to define a series of vertical voids for receiving and retaining a corresponding series of guide rods freely fitted therein 

1. A self-adjusting vise jaw including a frame having a straight backplate and a pair of forwardly extending end walls, a plurality of laterally aligned clamp blocks spaced so as to be freely movable between said end walls and slidable in a direction normal to the plane of said backplate, the inner ends of said clamp blocks being V-bevelled to define a series of V-notches between adjacent clamp blocks and normally disposed in proximity to said backplate, and a series of vertically disposed equal diameter actuating rods freely mounted in said V-notches, the diameter of said actuating rods being sufficient that portions of said rods extend beyond the inner ends of said clamp blocks toward tangential contact with said backplate when the rods are seated in tangential contact with the faces of said V-notches.
 2. The vise jaw of claim 1 in which the side abutting faces of said clamp blocks are relieved to define a series of vertical voids for receiving and retaining a corresponding series of guide rods freely fitted therein.
 3. The vise jaw of claim 2 additionally including top and bottom cover plates removably affixed to said frame.
 4. The vise jaw of claim 3 additionally including a second vise jaw of like construction symmetrically opposed thereto, and means for moving one of said jaws toward or away from the other thereof. 